Unlike Tera [been playing a lot lately] Guild Wars 2 is a true action/twitch based MMO.

I find this a bit ironic. I play Tera now and then as well and I've found GW2 to be much more action oriented. I do like the warrior from Tera though (probably because it is the most actiony of the classes there I feel).

---------- Post added 2013-02-10 at 07:42 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Meledelion

I'm quite saddened that people are missing "skinner boxes". It basically means that no matter how good (or bad) a game is the only that you want is a game that conditions you into playing more.

I'll go further with this and say that mmorpgs are really mediocre games. And without the carrots and the social element of the game, they are pretty terrible.

nobody theory crafts though, every guide I read is based on conjecture and personal feelings. not saying it's a bad thing but like to know how my dps or healing or survival improves and only by constant trial and error and some basic common sense do I ever feel like I truly know whether my decision to take one skill is better than taking another for x reason. it's never based on sound theory crafting

---------- Post added 2013-02-11 at 02:44 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Doozerjun

I find this a bit ironic. I play Tera now and then as well and I've found GW2 to be much more action oriented. I do like the warrior from Tera though (probably because it is the most actiony of the classes there I feel).

---------- Post added 2013-02-10 at 07:42 PM ----------

I'll go further with this and say that mmorpgs are really mediocre games. And without the carrots and the social element of the game, they are pretty terrible.

Now to people saying "yea combat is ez just 1-2 and don't be full glass". Have you ever considered that you're gimping yourself and your group by not being full glass. And that you are making the game less "skillbased" yourself.

There seems to be almost no difference in running full-on glass cannon, tank-y or support-y gear/specs. I tried in various dungeons, fractals and in the world. Stuff seems to die at more or less the same rate and personal safety is still almost entirely dependent on movement.

Think I run 30 Power/30 Precision/10Brawn on a Warrior wearing MF gear. Because I am just too lazy to put on my Berserk set. Seems to have no bearing on, well, anything.

Curious to know why you would say one if gimping themselves and the group by not going full on DPS gear/spec. PM me if you wish to explain in detail or give me some compelling facts why I should be bothered to push the B key to change gear.

---------- Post added 2013-02-10 at 10:48 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Doozerjun

I find this a bit ironic. I play Tera now and then as well and I've found GW2 to be much more action oriented. I do like the warrior from Tera though (probably because it is the most actiony of the classes there I feel).

Well, look. Tera is a nice game and all... but the marketing? Terrible.

Once heard Jon Peters talk about GW2 playing more like an FPS mixed with a MOBA. I think that's pretty spot on really. I don't even have to target things. I just swing and the game auto-locks on and will swing non-stop for me. If I walked toward mobs the way Udyr does when I click Akali we'd be 99% of the way to Peter's analogy.

Once heard Jon Peters talk about GW2 playing more like an FPS mixed with a MOBA. I think that's pretty spot on really. I don't even have to target things. I just swing and the game auto-locks on and will swing non-stop for me. If I walked toward mobs the way Udyr does when I click Akali we'd be 99% of the way to Peter's analogy.

It's a pretty apt comparison really.

I often wondered why they haven't made a moba type game mode (other than the Halloween mini game) yet. I think it would work quite well.

Those are the first things that popped in my mind and that's from ages ago, there's also axe builds tossed around.
Ranger sb/lb testing thief stealth dmg vs stealth crit, I can keep going.

It's simple to say "there's not much going on" but if you're not contributing yourself people won't give you their SS either. The "issue" isn't that theorycrafting isn't happening. The issue is that people expect Theorycrafters to just toss everything on the web like with WoW while GW2 is a lot younger. (EJ is basically thé source for theorycrafters and even there it's only a handfull of people /class actually doing the math)

Those are the first things that popped in my mind and that's from ages ago, there's also axe builds tossed around.
Ranger sb/lb testing thief stealth dmg vs stealth crit, I can keep going.

It's simple to say "there's not much going on" but if you're not contributing yourself people won't give you their SS either. The "issue" isn't that theorycrafting isn't happening. The issue is that people expect Theorycrafters to just toss everything on the web like with WoW while GW2 is a lot younger. (EJ is basically thé source for theorycrafters and even there it's only a handfull of people /class actually doing the math)

don't agree, I run my own Sims, I combat log all my raids and I use recount etc to monitor progress I have more tools at my disposal to Annalyse my changes, I don't need ej to tell me. theory crafting exists on a far larger scale than just accessing ej.

About theory crafting, it's much "easier" to get into with wow because the combat is purely based on dice rolls. So all of the math stuff can be incorporated into that and it makes all the difference in the world. GW2's combat is much less reliant on the gear so therefore it is harder for people to get into in that respect. Not saying it's not there but that is much less obvious than in a game like WoW (or swtor/rift/other games that rely on stats such as +hit)

Hello all the peps of the Guild wars 2 sub forum. I have officially quit WoW (since the release 5.2 note (deleted and sold, no going back now)) I have check something up about Guild wars 2 around the internet, and seem to love the Dynamic Level/Event but what I am worry about is.

1) How hard is it to level? (most free games are very hard after level 20)
2) If I am not a PvPer what is there for me to do after I max level?
3) Is there any Daily grind like WoW: MoP... aka Golden Crap Lotus (if this is a yes, just let me know now so I will not waste my time)
4) Whats with the Gem shop? Saw a code for Gems at the local Wal-mart, does that mean there are power users?
5) Will this game be a job like WoW? or will it be something that I can play to have fun?
6) Any good looking armor? from the photos I seen, I'm not that impressed (I don't care if they are weak, just wanna look nice)
7) Are areas dead like WoW?
8) Friendly Community
9) Ninja Looting?
10) Gateing?

Well firstly you'll find a bit of a bias asking this here as opposed to a non-specific forum. What I've read of the responses thus far mostly confirms this, because the game is definitely not exactly the rosey vision others have painted it to be.

The leveling is not much different than any other MMORPG. You earn some experience through killing, gathering, crafting, etc., but you earn a lot more by questing. Do not be fooled by the hype: the questing is not all that dynamic. You may not be walking up to NPC's with question marks over their heads and then going to kill ten bears and turning them in to complete it, but you are asked to do equally mundane tasks...you just aren't asked to do them directly. You'll walk through an area and a notification will pop up that someone in the area needs something done, so you can go decide to do it or not. The only thing that they've done here is eliminate the need to talk to multiple NPC's to pick up the quests for a certain area. Nothing earth-shattering. It's the same leveling in every other game but with new packaging. Period.

If you're not a PvPer, then that is a shame, because that is one thing this game does very well, I feel. And rightly so, considering the first GW was pretty much centered around it and they wouldn't want to alienate that fanbase. There are, of course, numerous things to do apart from PvP, but again, nothing you won't find in most other MMOs. The crafting is definitely more complex than in other games, but still not terribly compelling. You're still a one-man assembly line creating items that everyone else playing can create. Despite using snowflakes in some of the recipes, your wares definitely won't be unique. And the fact that your level is decreased to match any lower-level zone you travel to really slows down any gathering trips you may need to take there as well...

Is there a daily grind? Like WoW, only if you choose. There are definitely some nice-ish rewards for finishing your dailies (and despite what others have said, some of them can be a bit of a pain to complete, especially if your timing sucks regarding "random" Events), but just as in WoW they are not overly necessary to progress your character. If you want some of those rewards, however, prepare to work for it. You will not always finish your dailies "in the course of playing".

The Gem shop is basically the microtransaction system in the game. You pay real-world money for in-game gems that you then use to buy upgrades (like extra bag/bank space), boosters and various vanity items. I haven't looked into it too in-depth. The 60 Euro price tag is enough for now. Perhaps later if I develop into a packrat or compulsive collector.

Again, like WoW, the game is only a job if you make it one. If you feel you MUST do the dailies to get at the rewards, then it can be a bit of a slog. If you MUST clear every single area for all of the Skill Points (or POI's, Vistas, quests...) and don't take it easy and burn yourself out too quickly, then yes, it will be a "job". You'll probably read this a lot from me, but this is just the same as in every MMO. Whether or not it becomes a burden is almost entirely up to you.

Whether or not the apparel is "good-looking" is too subjective for anyone to really comment on. I can only say that I've found some combinations for my characters that I do enjoy, and you're able to dye them a wide range of colors if you so wish. There is also the "transmog" equivalent if you like the look of one piece but want the stats of another. I will also say that I don't think I've read anyone complaining about their options being limited in this regard, so take that as you will.

As far as "dead areas" is concerned, it's hard to say. I've spent days playing where I've only ever come across one or two other players (even during peaktime), and other days it's all I can do to get a hit on a mob for the kill credit and loot. I should think it depends largely on your realm choice and play time. It's definitely been more of a solo playthrough than an MMO experience for me on many occasions.

The community, I've found, has been much like the community in any new MMO. It seems at the start of any new MMO the chat is bursting with people who are doing their best to be on their best behavior and gush about "what a great game this is". Whether or not this will still hold true within a year for GW2, however, remains to be seen. For every other MMO I've been with since the start, and it's been more than a few, the community inevitably subsides back into that 50/50 state of decent human beings and guttertrash trolls. I'd like for GW2 to become the exception, but only time will tell. I do, unfortunately, already see plenty of pleas for help get answered with "use Google noob, lul" or similar.

I am pleased to say that ninja looting AND killing is not a problem in GW2. Everyone gets their own loot drops. Sadly, they are all random apart from your class quest rewards, so how much help you'll get from them is debatable. Mostly it comes in useful for the fact you'll need a LOT of drops to progress your crafting, so loot everything you can. Unfortunately there is no AoE loot option in GW2, which I find conspicuously absent in a game so many feel is the "next big thing" in MMOs.

Finally, there is not much in the way of gating in the game apart from the whole "agony" thing others have mentioned.

Whether or not all of this means the game is "worth it" is up to you. I look at games from "the price of the movie" point of view. Let me explain: Let's say going to the movies for roughly 2 hours of entertainment costs me 10 Euros (I know it's more in some places...I go to cheap matinees). Now, in order for a game to be "worth it" to me, it has to give me a similar enjoyment/cash spent ratio. So for Guild Wars 2 I had to consider if I'm going to get 12 hours worth of fun out of it (2:10 = 12:60). Seemed like a decent bet to me, so I took it, and I'd have to say I got my money's worth out of it. For a while, it was, and I'm grateful there was no extra monthly sub tacked on to make it a tougher decision, but I haven't logged on in a few days and I've no real urge to do so now either.

TL;DR version: It's not as great as people have been building it up to be. It's not so different than what's already available...cosmetic changes cover up a lot. It is not a game-changing MMO. But it is a decent game. You'll likely get your money's worth if you just play it for a month or two even if you never play again after. Lower your expectations a bit and you'll probably enjoy yourself.

don't agree, I run my own Sims, I combat log all my raids and I use recount etc to monitor progress I have more tools at my disposal to Annalyse my changes, I don't need ej to tell me. theory crafting exists on a far larger scale than just accessing ej.

You don't, 99% of the other people screaming "This game's to easy" are basically people who EJ would describe as "handholding". Most people's "guides" and how to gear posts are all coppied directly from EJ is what I meant.

Now to people saying "yea combat is ez just 1-2 and don't be full glass". Have you ever considered that you're gimping yourself and your group by not being full glass. And that you are making the game less "skillbased" yourself. It's basically like stacking stamina on a mage in WoW.

Wrong. Game is designed with downed state in mind.
While Full glass does more DPS it's also down more often. That's why it basically doesn't matter unless you allocate too much of your stat budget to defense.

I found that allocating 1/3 of it to defense with a ratio of 3:2 HP to def to compensate low base HP of Ele, lets you facetank pretty much anything out in the open wolrd (besides Gold & Purple borders) and eliminates the need to switch attunements entirely.

But combat isn't just easy due to survival issues. My class basically has only one DPS "stance" and that stance has only 3 buttons which have long cooldowns. So basically there isn't any decision making what to cast at a given point in time, because it is completely dictated by the cooldowns anyway. You just bomb out as many skills as possible and that's it. Place combo fields nicely so others can profit from them.

Ele DPS isn't hard in any shape or form. It's just a bit of awkward, having to switch stances all the time for maximum effect.

Well, look. Tera is a nice game and all... but the marketing? Terrible.

Anyway, I only have 6 deaths on my elementalist but I have always kept her moving. Only times I did die was when I was stationary (usually rooted). I switch out from earth to fire a lot, to get the reflect, aoe bleeds, and snare in earth (and root occasionally) and then use fire for direct damage and aoe damage. Sometimes I'll switch to air for the interrupt and water for the mass slow. I can't imagine staying one attunement and face tanking, I would have given up on her ages ago (as opposed to now in which she is 97% map completion so far).

Wrong. Game is designed with downed state in mind.
While Full glass does more DPS it's also down more often. That's why it basically doesn't matter unless you allocate too much of your stat budget to defense.

I found that allocating 1/3 of it to defense with a ratio of 3:2 HP to def to compensate low base HP of Ele, lets you facetank pretty much anything out in the open wolrd (besides Gold & Purple borders) and eliminates the need to switch attunements entirely.

But combat isn't just easy due to survival issues. My class basically has only one DPS "stance" and that stance has only 3 buttons which have long cooldowns. So basically there isn't any decision making what to cast at a given point in time, because it is completely dictated by the cooldowns anyway. You just bomb out as many skills as possible and that's it. Place combo fields nicely so others can profit from them.

Ele DPS isn't hard in any shape or form. It's just a bit of awkward, having to switch stances all the time for maximum effect.

They probably thought Cleavage was sufficient. Guess they were wrong.

This is just unbelievable...

Originally Posted by Granyala

Stupid browser ate my post before sending.

Long story short: Use above stat weighting, put all damage possible in Condition.
Use heal plant thingy and both elementals for burst if needed.

Equip staff and stay in fire. Ranged mobs have top priority.

If you're constantly dieing in the open world you're doing it wrong.

Disclaimer: Haven't played GW2 for almost half a year now, may be possible that my data is outdated due to balancing patches.

So basically nothing of what you said has any grounded theory, from your "experience" (which was less than a month lol) it's better to do X, Y or Z... Please kindly fck off.

<< Mod Edit: Only warning you get; the attitude, drop it. If you act rudely it won't be tolerated. Don't pick up this argument again. >>

It was all the time I needed to get myself to 80, explore Orr and gear up to full crafted exotics.
There isn't really much point in playing after that, esp if the RL-friends that dragged you into the game have gone inactive. <_<

I switch out from earth to fire a lot, to get the reflect, aoe bleeds, and snare in earth (and root occasionally) and then use fire for direct damage and aoe damage. Sometimes I'll switch to air for the interrupt and water for the mass slow.

Sure you can do all that. But it really isn't needed at all. Often when walking around in Orr I just ignored the mobs hitting me and kept walking b/c I wasn't in the mood to fight 9999 trashmobs on my way to the next Orichalcum node.

97% map completion is pretty awesome. I think I'm around 60% or so. Wasn't in the mood to do all the other low level areas in the far east. Stupid downlevel crap.... so frustrating.

So basically nothing of what you said has any grounded theory, from your "experience" (which was less than a month lol) it's better to do X, Y or Z... Please kindly fck off.

No need to theorize and calculate if the question posed is trivial. Which is exactly why GW2 couldn't hold my interest for very long. At least in WoW you can really screw up and have consequences because that game is designed around NOT dieing at all. In GW2 .. if all methods fail, you just GY-zerged to victory. (did they fix that by now?)

from the sounds of it, you never really liked the game and was only there due to your friends. well to each their own

That's good to hear.

Hmm I liked it enough to not regret the 60€ I spent. Exploring really is fun and the world is beautifully designed...
I enjoyed the fact that you actually smiled when you saw another player, unlike WoW where you just go "great, now stuff takes longer".
The 4 CD-FLAC version Soundtrack still is in my winamp playlist, Mr Soule created gorgeous music, if you ask me.

But the combat system is just too boring for me to play with it for extended periods of time.
You could say: like most MMOs except wow, combat essentially ruined my fun.
Combat also was the reason why my RL-friends quit. They thought it was just.. too few skills.

ToR: too laggy and unresponsive, also bad wow clone.
AION: laggy and unresponsive.
GW2: Fluid, but just lame. Not enough skills, not enough interactions between your own skills. No real way of screwing up, b/c there are no ways to accurately measure what you're doing in the first place.
TERA: Fun, but EXTREMELY frustrating as a healer w/o something like Grid. (Didn't try DPS in that game)

Hello all the peps of the Guild wars 2 sub forum. I have officially quit WoW (since the release 5.2 note (deleted and sold, no going back now)) I have check something up about Guild wars 2 around the internet, and seem to love the Dynamic Level/Event but what I am worry about is.

1) How hard is it to level? (most free games are very hard after level 20)
2) If I am not a PvPer what is there for me to do after I max level?
3) Is there any Daily grind like WoW: MoP... aka Golden Crap Lotus (if this is a yes, just let me know now so I will not waste my time)
4) Whats with the Gem shop? Saw a code for Gems at the local Wal-mart, does that mean there are power users?
5) Will this game be a job like WoW? or will it be something that I can play to have fun?
6) Any good looking armor? from the photos I seen, I'm not that impressed (I don't care if they are weak, just wanna look nice)
7) Are areas dead like WoW?
8) Friendly Community
9) Ninja Looting?
10) Gateing?

I know you had been thinking about jumping on the train for sometime, and the news of your unofficial announcement did stir my interest, but now that you have officially declared your intentions I must say, good luck and godspeed to you sir.